1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recording method and a recorder for recording information such as image information and text information and in particular to an art of using a record head comprising a two-dimensional array of recording elements to record information with high quality.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 21 shows a schematic configuration of a record rotation drum 110 and a record head 114 of a recorder 100 in a related art. In the recorder 100, the record rotation drum 110 shaped roughly like a cylinder is supported on a base for rotation and enables a record medium 112 to be fixed on the outer peripheral surface of the drum. The rotation direction of the record rotation drum 110 corresponds to the main scanning direction.
The record head 114 is fixed onto a move stage 116 so that it can be moved along a guide member of the move stage 116. The move direction of the record head 114 with the move stage 116 corresponds to the subscanning direction. The record head 114 comprises a plurality of laser diodes (LDs) put side by side, for example, so that it can emit a plurality of laser beams.
As shown in FIG. 22, the record medium 112 consists of a toner sheet 10 of a color material sheet and an image receiving sheet 12, and the toner sheet 10 comprises a photothermo conversion layer 14 and a toner layer 15 deposited on each other on the image receiving sheet side of a support 11. The image receiving sheet 12 comprises an image receiving layer 18 deposited via a cushion layer 17 on the toner sheet side of a support 16.
A substance to allow a laser beam to pass through, such as a PET (polyethylene terephthalate) base, a TAC (triacetylcellulose) base, or a PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) base, can be used as the support 11. Carbon, black material, infrared absorption pigment, specific wavelength absorption material, etc., can be named as the photothermo conversion layer 14, but the photothermo conversion layer 14 may be any if it converts laser energy into heat efficiently. The toner layer 15 may be a color, called a special color, such as gold, silver, brown, gray, or green in addition to each color of K, C, M, and Y. To record, the toner layer 15 is brought into intimate contact with the image receiving layer 18 of the image receiving sheet 12 and is transferred to the image receiving layer 18 of the image receiving sheet 12 by heating of laser beam application from the record head 114.
A similar substance to the support 11 of the toner sheet 10 or a base not to allow light to pass through is used as the support 16. To record, the image receiving layer 18 is brought into intimate contact with the toner layer 15 and the heated portion of the toner layer 15 is transferred. When a plurality of thicknesses of toner sheets 10 are transferred, the cushion layer 17 absorbs the level difference between the deposited toners.
Next, an example of a record process of a color image for each of K, C, M, and Y will be discussed with reference to FIG. 23. However, to execute lamination treatment, a lamination step is inserted preceding a laser record step.
1) An image receiving sheet 12 is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the record rotation drum.
2) A K toner sheet 10 is wound around the image receiving sheet 12.
3) A laser beam is applied based on K image, text data for recording on the image receiving sheet 12 in K.
4) The K toner sheet 10 is peeled from the image receiving sheet 12.
5) A C toner sheet is wound around the image receiving sheet 12.
6) A laser beam is applied based on C image, text data for recording on the image receiving sheet 12 in C.
7) The C toner sheet is peeled from the image receiving sheet 12.
8) An M toner sheet is wound around the image receiving sheet 12.
9) A laser beam is applied based on M image, text data for recording on the image receiving sheet 12 in M.
10) The M toner sheet is peeled from the image receiving sheet 12.
11) A Y toner sheet is wound around the image receiving sheet 12.
12) A laser beam is applied based on Y image, text data for recording on the image receiving sheet 12 in Y.
13) The Y toner sheet is peeled from the image receiving sheet 12.
14) After the steps 1) to 13) are executed, the colors of K, C, M, and Y may or may not be superposed on the image receiving sheet 12 to provide any desired color image.
15) The provided color image is transferred to paper.
To execute lamination treatment to enhance intimate contact at the recording time, a thermal transfer sheet is pressed by a pressurization roller, a heating roller, etc., just before laser recording for each color, whereby the thermal transfer sheet can be brought into intimate contact with the image receiving sheet.
The above-described recording by laser application is executed in a laser beam spot arrangement, for example, as shown in FIG. 24. That is, the arrangement is an arrangement of five rows along the main scanning direction and three columns along the subscanning direction, namely, a 15-spot arrangement of the first spot to the fifteenth spot.
Throughout the specification, the arrangement of the spots will be called the basic spot arrangement. The spot in the first column from the right end and in the first row from the bottom will be called the first spot and the spots in the first column will be called the second spot, the third spot, the fourth spot, . . . in order starting at the first spot. The basic arrangement in the specification is represented by numbering the spots in the above-described manner even if a recording element is not placed at each spot position. If the laser beam of the above-described spot arrangement is used and light is emitted from all spots at the same time along the main scanning direction for recording (a solid image), a recorded area hatched in FIG. 25 is provided.
By the way, in the recording method of the recorder in the related art described above, all spots are recorded in the same record output in the same spot form.
However, if all spots are turned on at the same time for recording the solid image shown in FIG. 25, at the spot positions on both ends, the outside of the two-dimensional spot arrangement largely receives the effect from the ambient temperature and thus becomes comparatively low temperature as compared with the inner spot positions. That is, the temperature at the inner spot positions is higher than the ambient temperature because of left and right record spots, and is relatively higher than that at the spot positions on both ends. This means that the line recorded at the spots on both ends becomes comparatively thin and that the line recorded at the inner spots becomes comparatively thick. Consequently, it is feared that a slight gap may occur in the recorded image every revolution of the drum shown in FIG. 26 (in this case, every 15 lines). This also applies if the light emission timing at each spot is adjusted 25 and a horizontal line image shown in FIG. 27 is recorded; it is feared that a slight gap may occur in the horizontal line image every revolution of the drum.
Further, if all spots are turned on at the same time for recording the solid image shown in FIG. 25, exposure is first started at the preceding spot positions (in FIG. 25, 1 ch, 6 ch, and 11 ch), thus the preceding spots become comparatively low temperature as compared with other spot positions (2 to 5 ch, 7 to 10 ch, and 12 to 15 ch). That is, at other spot positions (2 to 5ch, 7 to 10 ch, and 12 to 15 ch), exposure is always started first at contiguous ch, thus other spot positions are at higher relatively temperature than the tip spot positions because of the heat effect. This means that the line recorded at the preceding spots becomes comparatively thin and that the line recorded at the spots other than the preceding spots becomes comparatively thick. Consequently, it is feared that a slight gap may occur in the recorded image every column of the two-dimensional spot arrangement shown in FIG. 28 (in this case, every five lines). This also applies if the light emission timing at each spot is adjusted and a horizontal line image shown in FIG. 27 is recorded; it is feared that a slight gap may occur in the horizontal line image every column of the two-dimensional spot arrangement.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a recording method and a recorder for making it possible to eliminate a slight gap occurring every revolution of a drum (rotation gap) and a slight gap occurring for each column of a two-dimensional spot arrangement (column-to-column gap), thereby enabling high-quality image recording with no defects.
To the end, according to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the setup value of output energy at either of both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element.
In this recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction, the record output of the recording element becomes larger than that of any other recording element, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the spot at either of both ends in the subscanning direction becomes a size equal to or greater than that of any other spot. Thus, a rotation gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary every revolution is eliminated.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the spot form recorded by at least either of the recording elements at both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made longer in the subscanning direction than that recorded by any other recording element.
In this recording method, at at least either of the recording elements at both ends in the subscanning direction, the length of the spot recorded by the recording element in the subscanning direction becomes larger than that by any other recording element in the subscanning direction, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the length of the spot in the subscanning direction becomes large, thus eliminating a gap with the adjacent spot or overlapping the gap. Thus, a rotation gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary every revolution is eliminated.
According to a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the spot form recorded by at least either of the recording elements at both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made longer in the main scanning direction than that recorded by any other recording element.
In this recording method, at at least either of the recording elements at both ends in the subscanning direction, the length of the spot recorded by the recording element in the main scanning direction becomes larger than that by any other recording element in the main scanning direction, so that undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the length of the spot in the main scanning direction becomes large, so that the substantial record time and the heat conduction time in the subscanning direction (width direction) are prolonged and heat spreads in the subscanning direction, thus the line recorded by the spot is thickened. Thus, a rotation gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary every revolution is eliminated.
According to a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the area of the spot recorded by at least either of the recording elements at both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made larger than that recorded by any other recording element.
In this recording method, at at least either of the recording elements at both ends in the subscanning direction, the area of the spot recorded by the recording element becomes larger than that by any other recording element, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the area is enlarged and thus the line recorded by the spot is thickened. Thus, a rotation gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary every revolution is eliminated.
According to a fifth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the setup value of output energy of at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element in the column.
In this recording method, at at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the record output of the recording element becomes larger than that of any other recording element in the column, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that at least the preceding spot in one column becomes a size equal to or greater than that of any other spot. Thus, a column-to-column gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
According to a sixth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the form of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made longer in the subscanning direction than the spot form recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the length of the spot recorded by the recording element in the subscanning direction becomes larger than that by any other recording element in the subscanning direction, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the length of the spot in the subscanning direction becomes large, thus eliminating a gap with the adjacent spot or overlapping the gap. Thus, a column-to-column gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
According to a seventh aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the form of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made longer in the main scanning direction than the spot form recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the length of the spot recorded by the recording element in the main scanning direction becomes larger than that by any other recording element in the main scanning direction, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the length of the spot in the main scanning direction becomes large, so that the substantial record time and the heat conduction time in the subscanning direction (width direction) are prolonged and heat spreads in the subscanning direction, thus the line recorded by the spot is thickened. Thus, a column-to-column gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
According to an eighth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the area of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made larger than the area of the spot recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the area of the spot recorded by the recording element becomes larger than that by any other recording element, thus undergrowth of a spot caused by shortage of record output transferred from the adjacent spot is compensated for. This means that the area is enlarged and thus the line recorded by the spot is thickened. Thus, a column-to-column gap caused by a growth failure of a spot occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
According to a ninth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recording method wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that the setup value of output energy of at least the recording element at either of both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element and that the setup value of output energy of at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction and at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the record output of each recording element becomes larger than that of any other recording element, so that a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
In a tenth aspect of the recording method, the form of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made longer in the subscanning direction than the spot form recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction and at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the length of the spot recorded by each recording element in the subscanning direction becomes larger than that of the spot recorded by any other recording element in the subscanning direction, so that a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
In an eleventh aspect of the recording method, the form of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made longer in the main scanning direction than the spot form recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction and at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the length of the spot recorded by each recording element in the main scanning direction becomes larger than that of the spot recorded by any other recording element in the main scanning direction, so that a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
In a twelfth aspect of the recording method, the area of at least the preceding spot first recorded in one column is made larger than the area of the spot recorded by any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction and at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the area of the spot recorded by each recording element becomes larger than that of the spot recorded by any other recording element, so that a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns is eliminated.
In a thirteenth aspect of the recording method, the setup value of output energy of at least the recording element at either of both ends of the recording elements in the subscanning direction is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element and the setup value of output energy of at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column is made larger than that of output energy of any other recording element in the column.
In the recording method, at the recording element at either of both ends in the subscanning direction and at least the preceding recording element first recording in one column, the record output of each recording element becomes larger than that of any other recording element and further the length of the spot recorded by each recording element in the subscanning direction becomes larger than that of the spot recorded by any other recording element in the subscanning direction, so that a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns is reliably eliminated.
According to a fourteenth aspect of the invention, there is provided a recorder wherein a plurality of recording elements are arranged in two dimensions in a main scanning direction and a subscanning direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction and the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction are shifted in order in the subscanning direction, whereby spots recorded by the recording elements placed in the main scanning direction overlap each other substantially in the subscanning direction and are recorded on/off, characterized in that a record head is provided with an element arrangement configuration for executing the recording method as set forth in any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the invention.
The recorder comprises a record head having recording elements arranged so that the recording method as set forth in any one of the first to thirteenth aspects of the invention can be executed, uses the record head to record image information or text information on a record medium, whereby either or both of a rotation gap occurring on the boundary every revolution and a column-to-column gap occurring on the boundary between the columns are eliminated and high-quality image recording with no defects is enabled.